When our younger son was in elementary school, only a few years ago, we asked the principal why the school wasn't teaching the multiplication tables (reinforcing them for our son since he knew them when he was five).
The principal's answer to us was "children don't need to learn the multiplication tables because when they're at the grocery store they will have use of a calculator."
We sat stunned.
Being an ex-newspaper reporter, I asked if I could quote him on that and he said "certainly; this is what the state has mandated."
This elementary school is in an upper-middle class, multi-ethnic district with influential, liberal parents who think the state can do no wrong.
Their kids, now in high school, still can't multiply. And they've misplaced their calculators along with the keys to their Firebird and their Sports Club I.D.
My advice to parents embarking on the public school system is to know that you will need to be a vigilant watchdog; do not take "no" for an answer.
Polite, unambiguous persistence is everything. Good luck.